Chapter 34

34

E lias’ office was just as crowded and cramped as the other times I had been in there, but things seemed even more disorganized now, if that were possible. The older shifter was still at his desk and gave us a warm, but haggard, smile when we came inside. The loveseat that was usually covered in books and papers had been cleared for us to sit on.

“How are you, my dear?” he asked me, his eyes concerned.

“I’m okay,” I replied, pulling one of my legs under my body. The movement made my body lean into Remy, his arm immediately lifting and coming around me.

Elias raised his brows. “So, it is true. You’ve bonded.”

We both nodded, and Elias grinned at us.

“Amazing,” he breathed. “When did this happen?”

“Last week,” Remy replied, his knuckles dragging absent-minded circles on my shoulder. “We haven’t told many people.”

Elias waved a hand. “Of course not. It’s your own business, but I hope you don’t mind an old man asking a few questions?”

Remy shrugged. “It’s fine.”

“Are you both comfortable with the bond?” Elias leaned forward.

I glanced at Remy. “It’s been an adjustment, but yeah. We’re both good with it.”

“Have you been able to communicate when you shift?”

“Yes,” Remy answered.

“Verbally?”

I raised my brows. “Is there another way?”

Elias frowned. “Oftentimes when a new pair bonds, the communication bond is... more impressions than actual thoughts or words. The longer the pair is bonded, the clearer the communication becomes.”

I looked at Remy and blinked. “I heard you the night we bonded.”

He nodded at me. “Same. Your voice has always been clear. Especially today.”

“So, you were able to reach out to Remy when you and Trace had your... altercation?” Elias looked absolutely fascinated, his eyes big as they watched me.

“Yeah. I mean, I was able to tell him what happened and where we were.”

A dark look crossed Remy’s face and I knew he was blaming himself for not getting to us sooner. I pressed against him harder, trying to reassure him that I was still here and in one piece.

“This is remarkable,” Elias murmured. He leaned back in his chair, folding his arms over his stomach. “I watched you earlier, in the cafeteria, before I asked Amanda to get you. I don’t think you even are aware of the way you act.”

“The way we act?” I repeated skeptically.

“Like you’re orbiting one another. One of you moves and the other moves to counter it, balancing each other. I’ve seen it before in bonded mates, but usually only ones that have been together for several years.” He sighed. “Forgive my frankness, but it’s highly unusual for two teenagers to find their true mate, let alone reach the level of harmony you both have. And it’s only been a week.”

Elias swept a hand over the office. “I’ve been trying to find any information, but the youngest bonded mates we have on record were both twenty-two.”

I glanced at Remy. We knew that it wasn’t common, but to be the only teenagers who ever bonded?

Chalk up another mark in the ‘Ways I’m a Freak’ column.

Elias turned his attention to me, his expression guarded. “How are you handling the added... intimacy?”

I stiffened, not entirely sure what he was implying. “Excuse me?”

Remy bristled beside me but stayed quiet. I didn’t have to see his face to know he was glaring at the older man by the way Elias ducked his head.

“I know there were things in your past you preferred not to discuss,” Elias explained slowly, looking hesitantly at me.

“Remy knows who I am. He knows about Long Mesa,” I replied after a moment.

“So, you trust him?”

“Of course.” I didn’t hesitate to answer. It was the truth. I had gone from a girl who trusted no one to a girl who had a circle of people she trusted implicitly.

And Remy was at the center of that circle.

He gave me a reassuring squeeze, careful not to touch my hurt shoulder.

“Remy, how are you handling being a mate and an alpha?” Elias turned his focus to Remy, his eyes assessing the boy beside me.

Remy sighed. “It’s been an adjustment, but I think I’m handling it all right. Today was definitely the biggest test I’ve had yet.”

“Trace,” Elias surmised, rubbing his jaw. “How did you handle the Norwood alpha’s incident?”

Remy snarled softly under his breath. “It wasn’t an incident. He attacked my sister and then he attacked my mate.”

“And yet he is still breathing.”

“I should have killed him,” Remy muttered.

“No, you shouldn’t have,” I said sharply. “You got him away from us and immobilized him. You protected us, Rem.”

“You didn’t let your emotions rule you,” Elias agreed. “As an alpha you did the right thing. As a mate you did the right thing. You wouldn’t be with Skye right now if you had gravely injured or even killed Trace. You would be held for questioning and possibly banished from Granite Peak. Killing another alpha outside a formal challenge could mean stripping you of your own pack rank or worse.”

“Wait,” I started, leaning forward. “You mean Remy could be removed as alpha? For beating the shit out of Trace?”

“If Trace or his father, the Norwood Alpha, made a formal complaint with the Shifter Council, yes,” Elias replied. He inclined his head to Remy. “You know this is true.”

“He’s right,” Remy told me softly. “There are rules of conduct for Alphas. If we can’t keep ourselves in check, how can we lead an entire pack?”

“And no one is asking how Trace can lead a pack? After what he did?” I demanded. “He could have killed Katy.”

“The school council ruled it an accident,” Elias said simply.

“That’s bullshit!” I snapped. “He got his entire pack to lie for him. He was the one who started this whole thing.”

“What reason would he have to do that?” The old man quirked a brow up.

I paused then and turned slowly to look at Remy. “He’s baiting you.”

Remy frowned. “What?”

“Think about it,” I said, my words coming out fast. “Larkin, then hurting Katy, attacking me... Hell, he’s dating Sierra, a member of your pack, who conveniently likes to let people think you two had a thing last year.”

“But what’s the end game then?” Remy’s eyes narrowed in thought.

“Maybe his dad put him up to it because of what happened with your parents?”

“That was years ago. It doesn’t make sense.” He wasn’t convinced, doubt evident on his face.

“Norwood and Blackwater have been at odds for years,” Elias reminded us. “If Trace can unseat you in the pack, it may cause enough of a disruption prior to the Summit to give Norwood the foothold it needs in the Council to push through their agenda regarding the arranged matings.”

“The one where Alphas would set up all mate pairs, right?” I asked.

Elias nodded. “It would explain why Trace is antagonizing you specifically. We both know that Blackwater is held in high esteem with the Council. Smearing the reputation of your pack may help them with their proposal.”

“It’s working,” Remy admitted darkly. “If he goes after another member of my pack, I don’t know if I’ll stop myself from putting him out of commission for good.”

My heart thumped hard in my chest while my blood ran cold at the idea of Remy losing it and being taken away.

“You can’t let him win,” I replied. “We close ranks—no one goes anywhere alone. When we’re out as a pack, we stay together.”

“It might not be enough,” Remy replied with a frown, his dark brows drawn together. “And if he tries anything else with you...”

“From what I’ve seen, your mate can hold her own,” Elias remarked casually.

I gave him an incredulous look. “Trace beat me today. If Remy hadn’t shown up when he did—”

“One moment in one fight. On your first day, all I heard about was the new girl who stared down the Norwood alpha. If he wanted to come for you, he would have. He likely only turned his attack on you today because he felt he had to.” Elias shook his head. “His wolf knows yours could easily challenge his.”

Now I laughed. “A female Alpha? Right.”

“Why not?” Elias asked, cocking his head to the side.

“Because females can’t be Alphas,” I said slowly.

His hand settled on the book that was always near him. The leather bound book with the wolf and the star on the cover. “That was not how it always was, my dear girl.”

“Females used to be Alphas?” Even Remy wasn’t convinced.

“Females were revered,” Elias told us with a smile. “They were worshiped. They led packs, cultivated the population. The role of the male was to protect the female and over time, that evolved into males controlling females.”

Elias looked at me. “You remember the story I told you when you first came to see me? About Namina and the Romani?”

The fairy tale? That’s what he was talking about?

I nodded slowly.

“Namina was the first Alpha of the first pack, but as the years continued, the packs became more male dominated. As is true with most cultures, not just shifters, the males let themselves be ruled by fear. Instead of elevating females, they sheltered them. And when that didn’t fix things, they controlled them. But if you look at the bylaws, the wording states any shifter may challenge an Alpha. There is no distinction on the sex of the challenger.”

“So, you’re saying I should challenge Trace?”

Remy sucked in a sharp breath, already opening his mouth to shut that idea down.

Elias chuckled. “Not at all. I’m simply saying, females have more power than they know. More than many of us know. One day, I pray the shifter world realizes the truth.”

D inner was over and the main building cleared of people when we left Elias’ office. Remy took my hand in his, leading us down the path to the cabin.

“My dorm is that way,” I said, pointing down another path.

He was strangely quiet. “I know,” he said after a minute. “Can you just stay with me tonight? So I know you’re safe? Please?”

I was only teasing when I mentioned where my room was; I was already planning on staying at the cabin again. It was the ‘ please’ that fractured a tiny piece of my heart.

He wasn’t just worried, he was scared.

First Larkin had been hurt on his watch. Then Katy had been hurt. And finally, I’d been hurt.

Remy needed to have eyes on at least one of us tonight to make sure we were safe.

I leaned my head against his shoulder. “I’m not leaving you. But can we swing by my dorm so I can grab some clothes and stuff to take a shower?”

He nodded, guiding me down the other path. After a minute of walking we reached the dorm and I led him up to my room. I opened the door and Larkin was sitting on her bed, her phone in her lap.

She waved the phone at us. “Rhodes keeps checking in. He’s really paranoid.”

“Skye is coming back to the cabin with me. Why don’t you come, too?” Remy suggested, shoving his hands into his pockets as I grabbed an overnight bag from the bottom of my closet. “That way you’re not here alone.”

I glanced at Larkin, giving her an imploring look. I just needed her to humor Remy right now. He needed to know we were all safe.

Larkin nodded and got off the bed, starting to pack her own things.

Remy sank down on the edge of my bed, dropping his chin to his chest and letting out a long breath.

I finished throwing some toiletries into my bag on top of my clothes and zipped it shut, dropping the bag by the door and walking over to him. I rested my forearms loosely on his shoulders, looking down at him.

“We’re going to be fine,” I said softly, wishing like hell I could take some of the burden from him.

He nodded slowly before wrapping his arms around me, pulling me between his legs and resting his head on my chest.

“I know,” he mumbled, his voice a deep rumble I felt in my bones.

Larkin zipped her bag, giving me a small smile. “Ready.”

Remy gave my waist a quick squeeze and stood up, grabbing both of our bags and shouldering them before we could pick them up. We didn’t speak as we left the dorms, heading across campus, and to the cabin.

The paths had been cleared of snow, and no one else seemed to be out. The heavy blanket of snow added another layer of silence to the air. Everything was still and quiet, the only sounds were our boots crunching through the snow.

Remy opened the door to the cabin and Rhodes shot off the couch. No one could miss the relieved expression on his face when Larkin came in with us.

“The girls are staying here tonight,” Remy said unnecessarily. He glanced at Larkin. “Come on. I’ll show you to your room.”

We were all quiet heading up the stairs. Even Rhodes was somber, coming up last.

Remy moved down the hall, opening the guest room door with the queen bed. I saw him hesitate, his eyes flickering to me.

I took the decision out of his hands.

“Your room, Larkin.” I waved a hand at the next door down. “I’ll be with Remy if you need me.”

Thankfully, my best friend didn’t question me. She just gave me a supportive smile and nodded.

Remy gave me a small smile as he handed Larkin her bag.

“Do you need anything?” Rhodes asked her.

Larkin started to shake her head, but then paused, seeing the lost look in his eyes. He wanted to feel helpful in some way.

“Let me get changed and then we can watch a movie?” she offered.

Rhodes nodded, a smile brightening his face. “I’ll go make some popcorn and meet you down there. You two in?” He looked at Remy and me.

“You can,” I told Remy. “I’m tired. I just want to sleep.”

“We’re good,” Remy told his best friend, his eyes never leaving mine. We went into Remy’s room where he closed the door, setting my bag on the chair by the window.

I sighed, toeing off my shoes. “I just want a shower and sleep,” I moaned. My body ached from everything that had happened today. From my feet to the roots of my hair, I was exhausted. I opened my bag and started pulling out stuff I needed for my shower.

“Do you need me to do anything?” he asked.

I pulled out my pjs and hesitated, giving him a nervous look. “Actually? I might need your help getting my top off.”

He swallowed visibly, giving me a jerky nod. “Sure. Whatever you need.”

He followed me into the bathroom, turning on the light. He opened the linen closet door and pulled out a thick towel, setting it next to my clothes on the countertop.

We stared at each other for a moment before I laughed, nervous by the whole situation.

“This is silly, right? I mean, you literally saw me with my shirt off earlier,” I stammered, my cheeks heating.

“Exactly.” But his cheeks were slightly red, his pupils dilated. Slowly, his hands reached for the hem of my shirt, helping me lift it over my head. He was careful not to touch any part of me while he did it.

I winced as I pulled my shoulder.

“Sorry,” he said quickly, dropping my shirt to the floor. He frowned as he looked at the bandages on my shoulder. “Do you want—”

I nodded and he slowly started peeling the stained gauze off of me. I tried to stay still and not hiss when he tugged on part of the gauze that had stuck to my shoulder where the blood had dried. After a second, he tossed the used material into the trash in the corner.

“When you get done, I’ll wrap your shoulder again,” he said softly. “But it’s starting to heal.”

I nodded and then grimaced. “Um... I still need your help.”

The clasp of my bra was in the back and I couldn’t unhook it with my one hand that Trace had bitten.

“Right,” he said softly, his voice rough.

I turned slowly, giving him my back. His fingers traced up the line of my spine and I shivered under his touch, goosebumps breaking out across my flesh. He swept my hair to the side.

His fingers deftly undid the clasp, the straps of my bra falling down to my elbows. I held the cups up with my good hand, feeling his breath warm on the back of my neck.

The pure intimacy of the moment struck me dumb for a second.

I wasn’t embarrassed at all, but parts of my body were waking up, prickling with newfound awareness under his gaze.

I jumped as his lips touched the base of my neck, and then I relaxed back into him, letting out a sigh of bliss as his lips feathered across my skin.

“Do you need anything else?” he asked, his voice sounding like he dragged it through gravel for a mile.

It took a second for his words to register. I shook my head, unable to formulate actual words to answer with.

“I’m okay,” I said after a second, my words coming out in a breathless rush as I struggled to get air into my lungs.

“Yell if you need me,” he said softly, backing out of the room and shutting the door.

Taking a shower mostly one handed wasn’t great. It took a lot of maneuvering, and I almost screamed when the water droplets hit my shoulder. I adjusted the spray settings on the massive shower head to a gentler speed. It would take forever to rinse my thick hair, but at least my shoulder didn’t hurt as bad.

I managed to clean myself up, shutting off the water and awkwardly wrapping the towel around my body. I dried off as best as I could, patting my shoulder gently to absorb the water. I tugged on my underwear and sleep shorts before wrestling myself into my tank top and quickly brushing my teeth.

I was exhausted and breathing hard by the time I finished.

Remy knocked on the door. “You okay?”

“You can come in,” I told him, the door opening before I finished speaking.

His eyes swept over me. “Feel better?”

I nodded, checking out my bare shoulder in the mirror. It was already starting to heal in places, the bruising fading around the edges.

Remy took the first aid kit from under the counter and pulled out the last of the supply of gauze. He worked swiftly and efficiently, wrapping me up securely in less than a minute.

“Good as new,” I said, smiling at him in the mirror.

A small smile drifted across his lips. “Almost.”

I reached for my hairbrush, tugging it one-handed through my hair.

With a laugh, Remy pulled the brush from my hands and took over the task himself. He gently worked the brush through the knots in my hair. I watched him in the mirror, smiling inwardly at the expression of concentration on his face as he slowly brushed different sections of my hair until it was smooth and wet, the ends dripping against my lower back.

He leaned forward, pressing his nose into my hair and sniffing lightly. “You smell amazing.”

I smiled, leaning into his touch. “You... don’t.” I wrinkled my nose at him and made a face. It was a lie—he smelled like Remy, incredible and irresistible. But I needed a break from the heaviness of the moment. The simple domesticity of the moment was unnerving me a bit and I needed a second to gather my thoughts.

“Brat,” he muttered, pulling away. “I’m going to take a shower.”

I scurried out of the bathroom so he could jump in the shower. I closed the door behind me, leaning against the wood and trying not to think about the fact that a very naked, very wet Remy was going to be behind that door in a few seconds.

Licking my lips, I tried to ignore the low pulse starting between my thighs.

I went to the bed, pulling back the covers and sliding into the sheets. Unlike last night when I had accidentally fallen asleep in here, this time it was intentional.

I pressed my nose into the pillow and inhaled deeply. It smelled like pure Remy. The scent wrapped around me, my body melting boneless into the mattress.

I was almost asleep when the door to the bathroom opened. I heard Remy moving around the bedroom and a second later the lights flipped off. I listened to the sound of his feet moving across the floor, getting closer to me.

He slipped into the bed, the mattress dipping under his weight as he laid down beside me.

I started to scoot back towards him as he reached for me at the exact same moment. I settled against his front, feeling the heat of his bare chest pressed to the exposed skin of my back. His arm tightened around my waist and we both sighed deeply, our heart beats finding the same rhythm.

I was asleep in seconds.